Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Book Review: Every Day, by David Levithan @loversdiction

With its truly unique premise, Every Daykept me spellbound, as I wondered how this was all going to work out.

A wakes up as a different person every day. A only spends one day in each body. It has been this way all of A's 16 years of life. If you want to know why A is this way -- don't read Every Day. That's not what this book is about.

Every Day is about relationships. About a person who can't have any lasting relationships. And, when this person tries to have a lasting relations -- what can happen.

A falls hard for Rhiannon. A keeps visiting her when A is in other bodies. Eventually A tells her the secret. They try to have a relationship, but you can imagine this is no easy task.

A is ungendered (and it's really hard to write this review without "he's" and "she's!") A ends up in all kinds of people's bodies. Girls, boys, sick, healthy, fat, skinny, gay, straight, drug addicts, poor, rich -- you name it -- A has lived it. For a day.

Every Day will really make you think. I think I would have probably committed suicide if I were A. I can't imagine living without any long-term relationships. No parents, siblings, or even friends.

It is a bit unsettling to me not to know why this happens. Also, we really don't get a great explanation of what happens to the person whose body is stolen for a day, and what happens when they return to their bodies having missed a day. But you really need to give that up (and I tried) because that's not what Every Day is about.

I was also a bit confused by the ending, although the part I understood was understandable and heartbreaking. That's all I can say without spoilers.

Every Day is a very quick read. It's easily understood and easily draws you in. I think Every Day would be a great read for those kids that say, "I don't know what kind of book I like." I'll be recommending Every Day every chance I get.

Published by Knopf BFYR, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
324 pages

8 comments:

I wasn't a huge fan of this one. There were a number of things that bothered me, like A and Rhiannon's perception of the biggest host he had, and how A didn't really seem THAT concerned with the ethics involved with the way he treated some of his hosts' bodies. And the whole "I'm going to give Rhiannon the gift of a new man" thing at the end.

I absolutely and incredibly loved this book and that even though the ending left me confused. Is there a second book? I don't know… I just felt so hard for A and I was feeling so sad for A and I desprately wanted a happy ending.. Still! Phenomenal book!

I have to be honest and say that I was dubious on how Levithan would make an ending that work and was pleasantly surprised how he resolved it. Rhiannon annoyed me and I really didn't understand what attracted A to her.

Oh, how I loved this book. I thought it was such a fascinating premise, and really, really tricky to pull off- and yet he did. I was a little leery of reading it because it had been so hyped, but for me it completely lived up to the high expectations.

Oh, how I loved this book. I thought it was such a fascinating premise, and really, really tricky to pull off- and yet he did. I was a little leery of reading it because it had been so hyped, but for me it completely lived up to the high expectations.

Hi, I just noticed this review and wondered if you would like to link it in to the current monthly collection of books that people loved on Carole's Chatter. This is the link There are already over 25 books linked in that you might be interested in. It would be great if you came on over. Cheers

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About Me

I'm a high school librarian. I live in a small, fairly rural town with my husband, and a dog who is very spoiled. I love to read. I read mostly YA, my favorite is historical fiction, but I mix in the occasional adult novel and even some non-fiction. I love to write about what I've read and chat with others about what they've read, so blogging is perfect! I've just moved into a brand new house so I'm spending a lot of time decorating. My other hobbies are cooking and sewing.

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Some of the books I review are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) which are provided by a publisher or author to get my honest opinion of the book. The books are free, I get to keep them, and that's the only compensation I get for the review. Here's the FTC Guidelines.